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Robert Gilfillan
Robert Gilfillan (7 July 1798 - 4 December 1850) was a Scottish poet. Life Overview Gilillan, born at Dunfermline, was latterly Collector of Police Rates in Leith. He wrote a number of Scottish songs, and was favourably mentioned in Noctes Ambrosianæ. He was the author of the beautiful song, "Oh, why left I my Hame?"John William Cousin, "Gilfillan, Robert," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, 1910, 157. Web, Jan. 17, 2018. Youth Gilfillan was born at Dunfermline, the son of a master weaver. In 1811, the family moved to Leith, and Gilfillan was there apprenticed to a cooper, whom he served, with a somewhat languid interest, for 7 years. Beginning his poetical career in local newspapers while still an apprentice, Gilfillan speedily came to be recognised as a genuine Scottish singer.Bayne, 352. Career For 3 years after 1818 he was a grocer's shopman in Dunfermline, mingling freely with contemporaries interested like himself in literature, and receiving generous appreciation of his growing poetical gift. This time he considered the happiest part of his life. Returning to Leith he was successively clerk to a firm of oil and colour merchants and confidential clerk to a wine merchant. Favourable references to him in the Noctes Ambrosianæ, and especially to his "Peter M'Craw," a clever humorous satire of 1828, induced him to publish, and he issued a small volume of Original Songs in 1831. 2 other enlarged editions appeared in his lifetime., He held the post of collector of police rates at Leith from 1837 till his death in 1850. During the same period he was grand bard to the grand lodge of freemasons in Scotland, being in this respect a successor of Burns. He contributed in his later years to the Dublin University Magazine and the Scotsman, and also to the Scottish anthology, Whistle-Binkie. Gilfillan never married, and a niece reared under his care kept house for him in his latter years. Writing Besides "Peter M'Craw," Gilfillan's best songs are his touching "Fare thee well" and his plaintive and melodious emigrant's song, "Why left I my Hame?" which instantly won and retained a wide popularity. Recognition Several of his best songs were aptly set to music by Peter m'Leod. After his death a collective edition of his works (1851), with a prefatory biography, was prepared by William Anderson (1805–1866). Publications *''Original Songs''. Edinburgh: John Anderson, Jun. / London: Whittaker, Treacher / Leith: James Burnet, 1831 **revised & expanded as Songs. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood / John Anderson, Jun., 1835. *''Poems and Songs''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Printing & Publishing / W. Blackwood, 1839; Edinburgh: Sutherland & Knox, 1851. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Robert Gilfillan, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Feb. 8, 2017. See also *List of British poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Feb. 8, 2017. Notes External linkes ;Poems *Gilfillan in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895: "’T is Sair to Dream," "The Exile's Song" *Robert Gilfillan at PoemHunter (5 poems) ;About * Gilfillan, Robert Category:Scottish poets Category:1798 births Category:1850 deaths Category:People from Dunfermline Category:Scottish songwriters Category:19th-century Scottish people Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Scots-language poets Category:Poets